Strum Drum Messages: 229 Registered: November 2017
Master
Which set of smart speakers do you believe are the best bet right now in terms of sound, functionality, and longevity? I'd hate to invest in a system that sounds terrible or becomes obsolete quickly.
Strum Drum Messages: 229 Registered: November 2017
Master
Rusty wrote on Sat, 09 February 2019 10:14
Aren't all these smart speakers designed to steer you towards buying from the entity that sells them?
That and they're designed to make you lazy I guess. I've avoided them for a long time due to privacy concerns, but I must admit that listening to the traffic report while I'm getting ready in the morning is appealing. Sure, I could look it up online, but that's where the laziness comes in I suppose. I'm betting these speakers don't sound near as good as my regular floor speakers though. It almost feels inevitable - like all electronics are becoming part of the IoT army. I take it you've avoided getting sucked into the ecosystem, Rusty?
Rusty Messages: 1195 Registered: May 2018 Location: Kansas City Missouri
Illuminati (3rd Degree)
Damn straight. I think this pay for service for everything as you go is a crock. We're being sucked into a vortex of perpetual debt. If we let them, legislation will allow for privatization of basic services and infrastructure. It's not an ecosystem, it's parasitism.
One bad thing about smart speakers and smart televisions is that they need to update often and the machine will glitch out if you don't. They always seem to update at the most inopportune times too. I was listening to an e-book the other day and it was right at the climax of the story when my Echo had to update. It was frustrating as heck! I worry about smart machines making us more vulnerable to cyber attacks. I have to admit though that I do enjoy my Amazon Echo, Show, Dot, and every other connected device. I think Amazon sucked my family into their system with their Prime benefits and cheap devices. I have an iPhone, Apple Watch, and iPad too, so it's not like I've avoided Apple, but their HomePod is pricey and incompatible with many of the things I use.
I suppose it defeats the name "smart" when these devices are not smart enough to work on their own without updates. Or maybe, it is not the gadgets that are smart but the companies that manufactured them.
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